Soaking Up Runoff and Psyching Up Runners

There was going to be one of those photo-op on site groundbreakings to announce phase two of construction on [Harlem RiverPark]—but then it rained.

So there was no symbolic shoveling of dirt to kick off the park’s second growth spurt, which will open a new portion of the waterfront and extend the existing greenway and esplanade north from 139th Street to 142nd Street. The estimated date of completion is August 2008, which probably means sometime in 2009. The park’s first phase, which created two synthetic turf baseball diamonds and an esplanade from 135th to 139th Street, was completed in 2003. Phase III, from 125th to 135th Streets, is scheduled to begin design and construction in 2016.

Not only will the second phase create a nearly complete shared-use [waterfront path] from West 60th Street to 142nd Street (interrupted by a ten-block detour to avoid bridge repairs), it’ll also [absorb runoff](http://www.waterwire.net/ContentLibrary/DesignTheEdgeMay06.pdf) from the Harlem River Drive and provide much-needed public access to the water.

Oh, and EMS is having a [sale] on kayaks.